Hot top



Dec. 4, 1945.

E. G. JONES ET AL HOT TOP Filed Oct. 11, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY GEORGE 0.25401 w $343M ATTORNEYS Y 1366- 1945- E. G. JONES ET AL 2,390,373

HOT TOP Fil L ed Oct. 11, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheeft 2 INVENTOR ERNEJ T 6. JONES 650/865 0' LEA 0/ a, ATTORNEYJ Patented 4, 19 45 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE HOT TOP Ernest Gilbert Jones and George Oscar Leach,

Seattle, Wash.v

Application October 11, 1943, Serial No. 505,724 I 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in what are generally referred to in the iron and steel industry and particularly by ingot makers, as hottops" or feeder-tops."

For a better understanding of the present improvements, it will here be explained that in the making of large ingots by the pouring of molten metal into iron or steel molds, it has been a general practice for many years to placea "hottop or feeder top-over or within the upper end of the ingot mold as an extension thereof. The

for the shrinkage of metal. This feeding of metal from the hot-top insures complete solidity of the ingot, particularly of the core portion thereof,

which otherwise would become spongy, piped, or

porous at the upper end of the ingot.

The automatic feeding of metal from the hottop chamber into the ingot is insured by reason of the fact that the metal cools first about the outside surfaces of the ingot while that at the core or axis is last to solidify. This cooling .condition is also true of the supply of molten metal in the hot-top which will solidify about the outer walls first, but will remain liquid within the center portion for a somewhat longer period than that in the ingot and therefore will supply the core portion of the ingot with molten metal until it is completely formed and solidified.

There are many kinds of hot-tops in general use, employing refractory linings, but the useful life of the lining in practically all of them is but one heat, and this applies also to those which are formed with an extreme taper. These various forms of hot-tops, some being tapered and others being cylindrical, hexagonal or of other cross sectional shapes, are selected as required to best suit the manipulators or other handling tools.

When a hot-top is lifted off a mold after the ingot is formed, the metal that solidifies in the hot-top chamber forms a. sort of shank or trunnion which serves, first, as a part to which a set of tongs or clamp may be applied for drawing the inset from the mold. Subsequently, it is used as a means to which a porter bar or manipulator can be applied for handling and turning the ingot during heating and forging operations thereon.

Heretofore it has been customary in the making of hot-tops, to line the metal shell with refractories, or to use pre-formed cast tile refractories. However, when the metal is poured into the mold and the hot-top chamber filled-the metal then comes into direct contact with the hot-top refractories. It will be understood then, that since the refractory lining cannot be made perfectly smooth, and since the metal will set in close conformity thereto when it solidifies, the lifting or stripping of the hot-top from the mold and from the metal neck of the ingot, causes the refractories to be broken, crushed and displaced from the shell. Also, in the ast, there has been some difiiculty experienced due to metal running through or into the joints between refractories of the lining and forming knobs or burrs that must later be broken or cut loose before the porter.

bar or manipulator can be properly applied or satisfactorily used. Furthermore such burrs or knobs sometimes cause hanger cracks to be formed in the ingot byreason of not allowing the steel in the hot-top to slide down following the shrinkage of the freezing ingot.

The breaking, crushing or displacing of the refractories lining the hot-top shell, requires the rebuilding or replacing of the lining after each use, audit is to overcome the expense of labor and time lost for this rebuilding that the present invention has been designed.

In view of the above mentioned and other difficulties and disadvantages that result from the use of refractory lined hot-tops as previously made, it has beenjthe principal object of the invention to provide a hot-top embodying certain improvements whereby such difficulties and disadvantages are overcome; whereby the life of a hot-top embodying these improvements may be extended, in that it may be used repeatedly without requiring rebuilding or reconstruction of the lining and whereby the expense of rebuilding the linings and loss of time after each use of the hottop is eliminated.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a hot-top which will leave the ingot hot-top shank smooth and of proper formvwhen the refractory top is lifted off, and which may be used repeatedly for and through a number of heats.

More specifically stated, the present invention resides in the fitting of a sheet metal-sleeve within the refractory lining of the hot-top against which the poured metal will contact and which sleeve will fuse with the metal of the hot-top chamber I or to the ingot.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the details of construction of the sleeve, in the means for retaining it in place,- and in the combination of parts and mode of use of the device as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, we have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a central, vertical section of a hot-top and, the upper end portion of a mold to which the hot-top is applied.

Fig. 2 is an upper end view of the hot-top, showing the spreader applied.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3--3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the preferred form of metal sleeve for lining the hot-top,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the base flange ring of the shell.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of a part. of the hottop-lining and its flange.

Fig. is a sectional detail of a floating hot-top.

Fig. 8 shows various cross sectional shapes for' the hot-tops.

Referring more in detail to the drawings In Fig. 1, ill designates the upper end portion of an ingot mold and I I designates, in its entirety,

.. a hot-top embodying the present invention applied thereto.

The mold chamber l2 may 'be circular, octagonal or of other cross sectional shapes; while the hot-top chamber l3 preferably is circular in horizontal cross section as shown in Fig. 3, but could have any of the other shapes if desired. Th mold l0 as shown, has solid side walls enclosing. the inset chamber l2 and has a horizontal upper end flange M on which the lower end of the hot-top rests.

The present hot-top, as in Figs. 1 and 3, com-. prises a metal shell l5, equipped at opposite sides, near its upper end, with handles, ears or loops I 8 for receiving hooks for use in lifting it from and into place. At its lower end, th shell has a horizontal, outwardly extended flange I! to which an annular flange ring l8, designed to restagainst the mold flange, is fixed by bolts IS. The

bolts l9, as seen in Fig. 1, are extended through the flange I1 and ring flange.

This shell may be one integral piece, or it may comprise opposite, semi-cylindrical portions, as

shown, that are flanged along their longitudinal edges, and bolted to ether. I

The ring i8 is divided into two 180 segments, I Be and l8b, as observed in Fig. 5, and the ends of these are stepped to form lapped joints asdesignated at 20 in Fig. 5. Milieu-this ring becomes damaged by heat, requiring-that it be replaced, the bolts l9 are withdrawn and the ring segments removed and replaced by new'ones. In assembling this ring with the shell, the joints 2! would coincide with the longitudinal joints of the shell.

., The hot-top shell is formed with an internal refractory lining 25 made up of refractory tile, or bricks of substantial thickness, forming the chamber l3. This lining rests upon the ring flange it which has an inside shape corresponding to that orthe lining as shown in Fig. l.

Fitted inside or the shell lining is a sheet metal sleeve 30, preferably in a single sheet, shaped to a proper fit and its ends overlapped, as at {I in' Figs. 2 and 3, but not united. At the lower end of this sleeve is an integral out-turned flange 310:, encircling the lower end of the sleeve, and supported by the flange 3ia: is a flange ring 3'2, which is one continuous piece. This horizontal flange ring 32 engages flatly against the under surface of the flange ring i8 and is held between the ring l8 and the upper end flange H of the mold.

After the sleeve has been applied within the refractory lining of the shell IE, it is expanded against the lining and is held in place by a spreader 40. This comprises a circularly curved bar, forming approximately 310 ofa circle of. a diameter just slightly more than the sleeve. At

its ends, the ring forming member has two upwardly and outwardly directed handles 4l4l whereby the ring may be contracted or sprung together-for fitting it in the sleeve. Then its expanding tendenc will operate to expand the sleeve against the refractory lining of the shell. For its support in the sleeve, the ring has three supporting hangers 42 at 120 spacing, designed to rest upon the top edge of the shell lining, as noted in Figs. 2 and 3.

With. the hot-top so equipped with the sleeve,

the mold is filled, as in the past, by pouring through the hot-top chamber. When the mold is full, the molten metal then fills the hot-top chamber but is retained within the sleeve. The metal of the sleeve serves to chill the mmediately adjacent metal poured thereinto Just enough that it forms a smooth surface on the shank of the ingot, although the sleeve becomes fused with the metal of the shank. Then when the hot-top is lifted, its lining slips oil the neck without any damage thereto, permitting use of the hot-top repeatedly without requiring rebuilding or reconstruction of the lining. v

In lieu of the hot-top shown in Fig. 1, designed to rest upon the end flange of the mold, it is desirable in some instances that the not top be of the floating type, as has been illustrated in diameter that it will project down into the mold chamber, and it is'designed to be supported by blocks 45 interposed between the lifting ears 48 of the shell and the mold flange. The sleeve in this case would be l k that alread described.

While we have described the sleeve 30 as having its side seam lapped and unsecured, it is anticipated that in some instances, it may be found practical and desirable to join the lapped portions by rivets or other suitable means.

Also, it is to be explained that such sleeves may be made in other shapes than circular or cylindrical; for example, the cross sectional shapes shown in Fig. 8. In all shapes, sizes and proportions might be varied to suit conditions or desires without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hot-top for ingot molds comprising a metallic outer shell, open at upper and lower ends, a refractory lining in the shell, and a sheet metal sleeve fitted within the lining of'the shell and having an unsecured lap joint from end to end. and a resilient spreader ring applied within the sleeve to expand it against the refractory lining. 2. A hot-top for ingot molds comprising a metallic outer shell, open at upper and lower ends.

3. A hot-top ior ingot molds comprising a metallic outer shell, open at upp r and lower ends, and having an outwardly extending flange about its lower end, a ring flange applied against the end flange of the shell concentric thereof and side diameter smaller than'the shell and providing an inwardly extending shelf, a refractory lining for the shell supported on the said inwardly extending shelf, and a sheet metal sleeve applied within the lining and its supporting ring flange, and formed with an unsecured lap joint from end to end.

4. A hot-top as recited in claim 3 wherein the 'fastened thereto; said ring flange having an'insleeve has an out-turned lip about its lower end,

and an annular flange is applied about the sleeve and supported by said lip against the under surface of the ring flange.

. 5. A hot-top as recited in claim 3 including an expandable spreader ring applied within the upper end of the sleeve to expand it against the lining. v

6. A hot-top for ingot molds, comprising a metallic shell, a refractory lining in the shell, a metallic sleeve fittedin the lining having a longitudinal lap Joint that is unsecured, and a spread-- er ring fitted in the upper end of the sleeve; said ring having supporting hangers for engaging the upper end of the lining and having handles for contracting the ring to lift it'irom the sleeve.

7. A hot-top as set forth in claim 6 wherein the spreader ringis of ring-like form, open at one side, and having upwardly directed handles at its 1 to contract the ring to remove it. ERNEST GILBERT JONES. GEORGE OSCAR LEACH.

ends whereby 

